


If you look, you will die

by Emopieceofshof



Category: Bandom, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Album), My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Bird Box, Bird Box Au, Choking, Dystopia, Fighting, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Insanity, Kidnapping, M/M, Non-Consensual Kissing, Panic Attacks, Tags Are Hard, bird box spoilers, does this count as bird box spoilers?, eh I'll tag it just to be safe, look at me making frerard fics in 2019, non-sexual restraints, you saw the warnings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-09-30 17:44:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17228477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emopieceofshof/pseuds/Emopieceofshof
Summary: Always running and never knowing if you're safe takes it's toll on your sanity. Especially if you can't see the world around you. With dracs all around and limited supplies, the only hope for the killjoys is Dr Death Defying's promise of a safehouse near Route Guano, but Ghoul has his doubts.So basically this is a Bird box AU. If you haven't seen Bird Box, I highly recommend it. Prepare for tears, everyone.





	If you look, you will die

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! I hope you read the tags. If you haven't watched bird box, this fic can be confusing.
> 
> To tell you the basics of bird box without spoilers, basically there are these creatures that makes people commit suicide when they are seen. To avoid seeing them, people start wearing blindfolds. Some people that see the creatures, mostly mentally ill people, don't commit suicide after seeing them. Instead, they start worshipping them and force others to look at them. The draculoids in this fic are like those people.
> 
> I recommend the movie, as I think it was really good(it's on netflix btw). With that said, enjoy the fic!

_An anguished cry accompanied by the smell of a newly-fired ray gun. A cold body on the desert sand. How did it come to this?_

~~~***~~~

Kobra was wrapping bandages over Jet's damaged eye. Jet winced as Kobra's fingers briefly touched the burned area. "Sorry, Jet." Kobra secured the bandage gently. Jet was most likely going to be blind on his right eye for the rest of his life. If the blast had been an inch to the left, Jet could have died. Fucking dracs. They ruined everything. "It's fine, it hurt more when you cleaned it," Jet replied. "How's the leg?" He asked.

"I'll live," Kobra replied. The blast wound on his ankle hurt like hell, but it wasn't the worst that could have happened. It would probably slow him down for a few days, though. "do you need help fixing your helmet?" He offered.

"No, I just need to cover the hole with some duct tape. Thanks, though." Jet tried to stand up, but fell down almost immediately. Kobra caught him before he hit the floor. "Careful, Jet. Just sit down, I'll fix the helmet for you." Kobra gently sat Jet on the floor and grabbed Jet's helmet. They had covered the inside of the glass on the old motorcycle helmet with black spray paint long ago, making it an effective defense against those... creatures. But it wasn't as good a defense against draculoids.

There was a hole on the right side of the glass where the gunshot had hit. The edges of the hole was melted and cracked. He would need more than just a little tape to cover it. A single crack could mean death. Kobra passed his brother on his way to find the duct tape, trying to hide that he was limping heavily. He frowned when he saw Party's concerned face. He could take care of himself, he didn't need his brother's pity. Luckily, Party kept his mouth shut for once in his life and continued fiddling with the old radio.

Party was worried for his little brother. Kobra was always trying to hide how he really felt. He had practised his pokerface to perfection, but when Party had seen him limp his way past him, his brother looked more angry than his normal bored look. Not that Party didn't understand. Jet had almost died today. The dracs had started teaming up, their groups getting bigger every time they encountered them. If they didn't find the safehouse soon, they were doomed for sure. He kept fiddling with the radio. Maybe if he kept searching, he could find another broadcast from Doctor Death, but all he heard was static. Annoyed, he turned the radio off.

"You getting anything, Ghoulie?" He asked his boyfriend. Ghoul was sitting on one of the tables with the walkie-talkie, but he was just staring at the windows that were covered in old newspapers and tape to block the view outside. "Hello? Earth to Ghoul! Hey, answer me!" Party started poking the smaller man. Ghoul jumped slighlty. "What?" He asked. Party rolled his eyes. Of course Ghoul hadn't been paying attention.

"You're holding the walkie-talkie for a reason. Have you heard anything?" He asked. Ghoul shook his head. "Does it even matter? We know the way to the Doc's safehouse," he answered.

"Of course it matters. If there are other survivors out here, we have help them. Humanity needs to stick together now more than ever." Party took the walkie-talkie from his boyfriend. "I'll take a turn on it." He turned the device back on. "Do you ever feel like we're the only humans left in the world?" Ghoul asked, his gaze fixed on the paper-covered windows.

"What do you mean?" Party asked. "Nothing," Ghoul replied.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" he asked into the device. The only response was static. He changed the frequency and tried again. "Hello? Is anyone there? Hello, this is Party Poison, can you hear me?" Static again. He repeated the process again. He grew more frustrated each time. Eventually he reached the last frequency. "Hello? Is anyone there?" He asked for the last time. Static again. He fought the urge to throw the damn walkie-talkie as hard as he could at the floor as he turned it off. He sighed. He had been so absorbed in the task that he hadn't noticed how dark it was. Everyone had gone to what they considered their bedrooms, leaving him alone in the main room of the diner.

Party stretched and got up from the floor. They had to keep going tomorrow. Before he went to bed he checked their supplies. Six cans of power pup and three bottles of water. Not nearly enough for the five of them. If he had read the map correctly, it was a two-day trip to where the safehouse was supposed to be. It could work if they rationed the food, but the water was the main issue. There was running water in the diner, yes, but it wasn't clean enough to drink.

 _That's a problem for tomorrow,_ he thought as he went to his and Ghoul's room. His boyfriend was already asleep. Party undressed and slipped under the covers, careful not to disturb Ghoul. He tried to ignore his fears as he started falling asleep.

~~~***~~~

Party woke up to the makeshift bed shaking. He looked at Ghoul, who was curled shaking and whimpering, his face looking as if he was in pain. Party rolled over and wrapped an arm over Ghoul. His boyfriend flinched, startled by the sudden touch. "Hey, Ghoulie, what's wrong?" He whispered. Ghoul replied with elbowing him in the ribs. "OW! What was that for, jackass?" Party yelled.

"Don't touch me." Ghoul pushed Party off the bed. Party yelped as he hit the floor. Ghoul curled himself into a shaking ball, facing away from his boyfriend.

"Ghoul, you know you can talk to me. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's up." Party rested his elbows on the matress. He had never seen Ghoul like this before. He looked so small and voulnerable, so un-Ghoul like. Ghoul replied by curling himself into a smaller ball. "Hey, come on. You've been acting weird since we fought those dracs earlier. It's only going to become worse if you keep it to yourself. What's wrong?"

Ghoul uncurled himself and rolled to face Party, tears in his eyes. "Really? 'What's wrong?' What do you think is wrong, Poison? Jet almost died today, those fucking... things are out there killing everyone, forcing us to wear these stupid masks. We can't go back to the city either, because it's infested with dracs. We barely have enough food for tomorrow, maybe less. Our only hope is Doctor Death's safehouse, but we don't even know if we're going the right way. We don't even know if it exists anymore, or if it ever did. That radio broadcast was over a month ago." Ghoul tried to calm his breathing, but it didn't stop the shaking. Party was stunned into silence. How long had Ghoul kept this to himself?

"Those monsters killed my family, Party. I hear their voices almost every day, begging me to join them. Do you know how hard it is to hear your own mother's voice begging you to come with her? To hear your brother cry whenever you try to ignore him? I want more than anything to see them again, but I know it's not real. I saw them all die. It's torture to listen, and I'm so tempted to look and be done with it, but I know that I have to keep going. For you. For Grace. For Jet and Kobra. But..." He paused. "It's just too much!" Ghoul covered his face with his hands and sobbed.

Party climbed on the bed and started stroking his boyfriend's back. "Ghoulie, I had no idea." he pulled Ghoul's head close to him. Ghoul didn't try to protest, but started leaning into Party's chest. "I understand. I'm terrified out of my mind everyday. I'm scared I will lose any of you. I'm scared that we don't have enough supplies to make it to the safehouse. I'm scared that I'm not strong enough to protect you, just like I couldn't protect Show Pony." Mentioning their former friend hurt. Show Pony had been there with them since the nightmare started. They had been the one that got them safely out of the city, but they couldn't save themselves. A quick peek from their blindfold and a fall, and Show Pony was gone forever. "But you know what keeps me going? I'm more scared of what would happen to you guys without me."

He wiped away a tear from his boyfriend's face. Ghoul's shaking calmed down. "Hey, It's only a few more days until we reach the safehouse. We're going to be fine." He wrapped the thin blanket over both of them and held Ghoul close.

"I'm not so sure of that," Ghoul murmured. "Go to sleep, Ghoul. Maybe things will seem better tomorrow," Party said, holding his boyfriend close to his chest.

~~~***~~~

Party woke up again the same night to find that Ghoul wasn't lying next to him anymore. "Ghoul?" he called out. No response. He removed the blanket and started to put on his clothes. Once fully dressed, he started looking for his boyfriend. "Ghoul?" he called once again. Still no response. He checked the bathroom. Well, what had used to be a bathroom before the diner had been raided and trashed. Frustration filled Party. Where the hell was Ghoul? The only other place Ghoul could be was the kitchen, unless Ghoul liked to watch other people sleep like a creeper. The only intact part of the worn down kitchen were the counter tops. The shelves had been torn down and raided long ago. The fridge was in the worst condition. The fridge door had been ripped off cleanly from the hinges, and what hadn't been raided had been thrown out due to expiration. Ghoul wasn't here either. Where the hell was he? This wasn't like him. Party was about to leave and search in Grace's room, when he spotted something white in the kitchen sink. A small piece of paper was neatly folded over the drain, the edges wet and yellowing. Nervous, Party picked up the note.

_Dear Party. I can't take it anymore. I'm going outside. Sorry. -Fun Ghoul._

Panic came over Party. No, it couldn't be real. Any second now, Ghoul would appear and reveal it was just a cruel prank. Right? No, He wouldn't joke about this. Ghoul could be an asshole, but he never joked like this. Oh god, Party had to stop him right now. He ran back into the room where the two of them had slept and grabbed his mask. It was a yellow half-mask with it's eyeholes shut by duct tape. He searched around for the coil of rope that usually was near the entrance. He couldn't get lost outside looking for Ghoul. The rope was supposed to be at one of the tables, but the tables were barren except for a thin layer of dust that was slowly forming. "Shit!" Party cursed under his breath. He couldn't waste precious time looking for it. He would have to find a way back later. He grabbed his gun and ran to the entrance and put on the mask. The door was unlocked. Ghoul really had gone outside. Party swallowed. This terrified him more than the day they left Battery City.

No, He couldn't allow himself to freeze up now. Ghoul was out there, and he needed help. He opened the door and ran outside. "Ghoul? Where are you?" Party yelled into the desert as he closed the door. No answer. He ran aimlessly. He couldn't let this happen. "Ghoul!" He screamed, more panicked this time. Still no answer. Any sound, any sign that someone was out there was better than the silence of the desert. "GHOUL!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Tears were forming behind the mask, but he blinked them away. Crying would be admitting defeat. _Please, don't let me be too late._ He prayed silently.

For a while he was just running and screaming. He had bumped into multiple cacti and tripped over rocks three times. Exhaustion was taking over him. Party was about to give up when he heard footsteps in the distance. "Ghoul!" He shouted as he started to sprint towards the sound. He was getting closer, but tripped over something. He wasn't sure what it was at first, but it was something soft. He realized it was a human body. No, a draculoid body. There was a difference. He rolled off the body and tried to stand up.

"Need help?" Ghoul's voice asked. Party felt himself pulled to his feet. At first he felt relief. Ghoul was here. Ghoul was alive. But relief turned to anger. This was no doubt the worst his boyfriend could have ever done to him. He was about to scold Ghoul, but he was cut off. "We were wrong all along, babe. The world isn't the hell we thought it was."

"Ghoul, what are you talking about?" This wasn't like Ghoul at all. "Come on, let's go back inside. It's a long day tomorrow." Party turned around and started walking in the direction he thought the diner was in, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I've seen the truth. And it's beautiful. So beautiful. You have to see it, baby." Ghoul said. The realization and horror hit Party like a truck. "Ghoulie, where's your mask?" he asked. Had Ghoul actually looked? No, he couldn't have.

"That's the thing, baby, I don't need it anymore. And you won't need it either. I've found my saviours. They will cleanse the world." Ghoul started laughing in pure relief, as if a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders, confirming Party's worst fears.

Party quickly elbowed his now crazy boyfriend and hit right in his stomach. He heard a soft "oof," but didn't think too much of it before he turned around and whipped out his ray gun. "Ghoul, this isn't you. Snap out of it. Whatever you've seen is a lie." The only response he got was more laughter. "Don't be stupid, Poison. Do you really think you can hit me blindfolded?" Ghoul taunted.

"If I can hit other dracs, I can hit you. Please don't make me kill you, Ghoulie," Party pleaded. The situation felt unreal. It didn't feel right to call Ghoul a drac. It didn't feel right to aim his gun at his boyfriend.

Ghoul laughed again. "Is that what I am to you now? Just another drac? Then why don't you pull the trigger, hm? You didn't hesitate when you killed them, so what's stopping you now?" Party's hands started shaking. Why did he hesitate? All five of them had agreed that if one of them did become a draculoid, the others would kill them. "You know damn well why, Ghoul!" Party shouted back. Because he loved him.

"My name isn't Fun Ghoul anymore, Poison. I'm going back to being Frank. My real name. I'm done pretending, _Gerard!"_ Ghou- no, _Frank_ 's words struck Party like bullets. This couldn't be happening. There had to be some way to save him. There just had to. His hesitation was all the opportunity Frank needed to tackle him into the ground. He grunted as he fell in the cold sand and Frank landed on top of him. The two started wrestling for Party's gun. Party tried to keep his finger on the trigger, shooting aimlessly in hope he would hit something, anything. But Frank had the advantage of sight. Frank slammed Party's wrist repeatedly into the ground, making the ray gun fall out of his hand. Party squirmed underneath frank's weight, kicking and punching in Frank's general direction. He felt his fist collide with Frank's jaw. His small victory was short-lived, as a hand was suddenly on his throath, squeezing tightly. Party clawed at the hand, but the lack of air was starting to make him delirious. He felt his limbs become heavier and spots filled his limited vision. _Is this how I die?_ he questioned as he gasped for air like a fish out of water. Just before he was about to pass out, the grip loosened. Party started to gasp and cough, trying to fill his lungs with air. He raised his fist to keep fighting, but he froze when he felt the barrel of the gun being held against his forehead. "I think we're done here," Frank said.

Party felt himself getting flipped over to his front. He tried to resist, but he was still weak from the lack of air. He clawed at the ground, trying to get some distance between himself and Frank. "Don't be afraid, Gee baby. I just want you to see the truth." The old nickname made Party shiver. He hadn't been called that in years. One of Frank's hand grabbed Party's wrist and pulled it towards his back. Party wriggled desperately, but the click of the ray gun being cocked reminded him of who was in control of the situation. He let himself go limp as Frank tied his hands behind his back, offering no resistance. So that was where the rope had gone. For the first time that night, he allowed the tears to flow freely. His worst nightmare had come true. If he had noticed how much his boyfriend had suffered sooner, then maybe he could have saved him. He could have prevented this. This was his fault. "You don't have to do this, Frank. Please, let me go," He pleaded.

Frank got off Party and pulled him into a kneeling position, a hand firmly holding his head up. "But I do have to, Gee. Everyone must look. It will cleanse the world. All those people that died were simply unworthy. But I know you are worthy, and I know the others are too." Frank cupped Party's face, wiping a tear from his cheek. Party had to fight the urge to recoil from the touch. "In fact, why don't I bring everyone out here, and we'll all see it together? Doesn't that sound wonderful?" Frank asked, not bothering to listen if Party would answer.

Party felt Frank's hands leave him, leaving him alone kneeling in the sand. He had to stop him somehow. Kobra and Jet were still wounded from the fight earlier. He tested the bindings on his wrists, but they wouldn't budge. He had to warn them. "Jet! Kobra! Grace! You have to run! Ghoul is one of them! RUN! YOU HAVE TO-"

Party's mouth was forced open as Frank stuffed something in his mouth, muffling his cries. He angrily bit after Frank's fingers, resulting in a powerful punch in his gut, knocking the air out of his lungs. He gasped for air as everything went dark.

~~~***~~~

Kobra's eyes fluttered open. He heard screaming outside. Wait, was that Party? He was shouting something from outside, but Kobra couldn't quite make out what he was saying. He sat up and reached for his gun. Jet stirred beside him. "Mmm, what's wrong, Kobra?" he asked groggily. "I think I heard something, Jet. It sounded like Party was shouting something," He answered as he stepped out of the bed and started putting on his clothes.

"I didn't hear anything. Are you sure it was Party and not one of the creatures?" Jet asked. "I don't know. I'm going to check," Kobra replied.

"Check how? You're not going outside, are you?" His partner asked. "Yeah, I was going to fucking go outside in the middle of the night with an injured ankle. No, I'm going to check if he's in his room." Kobra replied.

"Alright, you don't need to be an asshole about it. And what's the gun for?" Jet tossed the blanket aside. "Just in case." Kobra walked back to the matress and wrapped the blanket back around Jet. "And before you ask, no you can't come with me. You can't even stand up. Just stay here and watch over Grace. I'll be back soon," Kobra said, limping out of the room. Jet was about to protest, but decided against it. Kobra was just going two rooms over, after all. He grabbed his gun just in case, though.

Kobra grit his teeth. Walking still hurt like hell. _I've had worse,_ he reminded himself. He wasn't going to cry over a little pain. He sneaked into the room where Party and Ghoul were supposed to sleep. If it was just a trick from those monster things he didn't want to wake the two lovebirds for nothing. The blanket was tossed far from the empty matress. What the hell? Both of them were gone? That mean that Party really was outside! Shit!

He froze as he heard the front door open. He cocked his ray gun and walked as quietly he could, trying not to wince from the pain in his leg. He looked through the doorframe of Party and Ghoul's room. How could someone get in? He spotted a figure in the main room. Wait, was that Ghoul? Why wasn't Party with him? Why didn't Ghoul have his mask? These questions raced through Kobra's mind, but he stopped his train of thought when he saw what Ghoul was doing. He watched as Ghoul ripped away the newspapers from the windows. He quickly covered his eyes. Shit! Ghoul was a drac! Wait, did that mean that Party- no, he had to focus on stopping Ghoul. He could worry about his brother later. He turned around and picked up a dirty bandage from the floor. He wrapped it around his eyes. It wasn't the best blindfold, but it would have to do.

He started blindly following the sound of ripping paper and footsteps, careful not to bump into anything. He realized Ghoul was headed towards his, Grace's and Jet's room. Shit! Jet was not in a fighting condition. He quickened his pace, not caring about the noise anymore. He faintly heard Jet's voice. "Kobra?" Jet called out. "No, it's Frank," Ghoul's voice replied. Wait, Frank? He hadn't heard that name in five years. They had promised never to use their real names ever again.

When Kobra was inside the room, he ripped off the bandage and aimed his gun at the back of Ghoul's head. "Don't you dare," he treathened. Ghoul just laughed. Ghoul turned to face Kobra. Kobra took a look at his eyes, confirming further what had happened to his former friend. His brown eyes had grown several shades darker, with strings of black forming in his irises, circling his pupils. The sight was frightening, but Kobra wasn't the person to freeze in the sight of fear. In a fight or flight situation, he always chose fight.

"What's so funny?" He asked, keeping his gun pointed between Ghoul's eyes. Ghoul laughed again. That damn laugh was annoying as hell. It had always pissed Kobra off, but never more than now. "As if you would shoot me. Party couldn't do it, what makes you think you can?" Ghoul taunted. The mention of Party filled Kobra with horror and rage. "What the fuck did you do to my brother!" He asked.

"Oh, nothing yet. He's waiting for us outside. But I think he's getting lonely. What do you say we all go give him some company?" Ghoul replied. Kobra clenched his jaw. "You're lying!" he yelled. Ghoul was just trying to get under his skin. "Oh, am I? Then explain this!" Ghoul pulled out a yellow ray gun. _Party's_ gun. Kobra punched Ghoul in the face, causing the smaller man to lose his balance and fall down.

Jet tossed the blanket off himself and started crawling on the matress, struggling to move. When he was at the edge, he aimed his gun at Ghoul with a shaking hand. Ghoul started crawling backwards, his back hitting the wall.

"What's going on?" Grace asked, sitting up from her bed in the corner. Right next to Ghoul. Shit. Ghoul didn't hesitate as he grabbed the girl and aimed Party's gun at her head. "None of you move, or I will kill her!" He treathened as he stood back up on his feet, holding Grace under his arm. Kobra growled. "Don't you dare!" Jet yelled. He tried to stand back up, but his body wouldn't listen.

"Jet, why don't you just lie back down? I doubt you can do anything useful in your condition,so just stay out of this, hm?" Ghoul said. Grace started crying. "Ghoul, what are you doing? Please put me down, you're scaring me!" She kicked at Ghoul's sides. This wasn't the Ghoul she knew. "The name's not Ghoul, Grace. It's Frank," was Gho-Frank's response.

"Don't think I won't kill you, Frank!" Kobra treathened. "Go ahead and shoot then, _Mikey,_ let's see who's a better shot! It's only Grace's life on the line, after all," Frank replied. Kobra grit his teeth. Frank's use of his real name caught him off-guard, but he shook it off. He couldn't risk Grace's life. Frank was a drac, and dracs stopped at nothing but death. "Or you can follow me outside. After all, I want us all to see the truth together. Put down the gun, Mikes. Go help Jet to his feet, we're going."

A ray blast was fired. Frank howled in pain as the shot hit his shoulder, making him drop Grace on the floor. "I think the fuck not, you little piece of shit!" Jet shouted. Kobra had never heard Jet curse like that before. For the first time, Frank looked uncertain of what to do. Both Kobra and Jet were aiming their guns at him. It didn't last long, as Kobra was quickly tackled. Jet kept firing his gun, but it was hard to aim with only one eye. Frank was barely grazed by Jet's last shot as he ran into the main room. "Shit!" Kobra cursed loudly.

Jet hated being so useless. If only he hadn't been hit. He was about to apologize for bein such a burden, but stopped himself when Grace ran over to him and hugged him tightly. The little girl cried as she clung on to the killjoy. He wrapped his arms protectively over her. "You two stay here, I'll get him," Kobra commanded. "But Kobra, what about your leg?" Jet asked. He had seen how much Kobra had been limping.

"Don't try to argue with me! I'm going and you can't stop me. My brother is out there, and there is no way I'm leaving him alone with a drac! Got it?" He shouted angrily. He didn't have time for this. "Now, you two have to listen to me, or we won't make it. Don't go out in the main room without a blindfold, Frank removed the newspapers from the windows. Jet, stay here and take care of Grace. Grace, you make sure Jet doesn't try to leave the bed until I come back. If I'm not back in three hours, you leave this place and find the safehouse. Got it?" He asked. Jet and Grace nodded. Kobra had made it clear who was the leader of the group now. "Good." Kobra grabbed his bright yellow helmet and put it over his head and started the chase, ignoring the pain in his leg.

~~~***~~~

Party woke up with the taste of cotton in his mouth. He struggled against the rope, grunting against whatever was in his mouth. If he could just get his hands in front of him, this would be a lot easier. Frank could come back at any moment. No, this wasn't how he was going to die. If only he could get his hands free. There was still a chance to save the others. The sound of footsteps made him tense up. His movements became frantic. He could imagine that he looked like a caterpillar on drugs from the way he was wriggling. He felt just as pathetic too. He screamed into the gag as he felt something sharp dig in his arm. He felt warm blood run down his arm and soaking into the rope. It gave him an idea.

He quiclky repositioned himself so the sharp object hit his restrains. The footsteps were getting closer. He had to work quickly. The object cut shallowly into the rope, not making nearly enough progress before Frank grabbed the scruff of Party's jacket and started dragging him behind him. He started kicking at the ground weakly, but it didn't do much to slow Frank down. Now he realized he hadn't heard just Frank. Someone else was there. He tried to call out to whoever it was, screaming as loud as he could, but it was muffled by the gag. The other person seemed to notice his cries, because the footsteps sped up. Party noticed that the person was limping by the rythm of the steps. Wait. It was Kobra! Kobra was right there! Kobra was safe!

Relief filled Party. He had been able to warn them. He started screaming until his troath felt sore. _Kobra, I'm here! Please help me!_ Frank sped up his walking pace. It hurt being dragged like this. His clothes were getting ripped for sure. He tried wriggling free making Frank drop him. Party thought he had gained a small victory until he heard the sound of a car door opening. He tried to roll away, but Frank found him again and lifted him by his armpits. Party felt himself getting shoved into the back of the car. Frank put a seatbelt on him before shutting the door and climbing in the front of the car. Party heard the sound of keys and the car starting. Frank must have taken the keys from one of the dead dracs. As they were driving away, he kept trying to wriggle free, but as the adrenaline wore out, his exhaustion caught up with him. He tried to stay awake and alert, but felt himself drift away.

Kobra heard the sound of a car driving away. "Damn it!" He yelled, not caring if anyone heard. He had been so close. He had heard Party, he had been _right there!_ And now he was gone forever. Kobra couldn't follow a car. A cold wind blew over the desert. He knew what that meant. The creatures were here.

 _Mikey, it's okay, look at me. I'm right here,_ Party's voice said. "Fuck off," He said bluntly. He wasn't dealing with the creatures' shit tonight. They were idiots for using his real name, the name he had buried five years ago. _Please, Mikey! Don't leave me here! Look at me!_ Kobra grit his teeth. He tried to shut the voice out.

Party was as good as dead now, that was a fact. He couldn't allow himself to dwell on it. Ghoul and Party were fucking idiots for going outside. He had to focus on the living. He had to take care of Jet and Grace in his brother's place. He knew that was what Party would have wanted. He made his way back to the diner, not even caring that tears were streaming down his perfect pokerface. Party's voice kept crying out to him, getting more desperate. But it was just a voice. The sound was only strengthening his resolve. He would survive, and so would Jet and Grace. No matter the cost.

~~~***~~~

"Come on, baby. It's time to wake up," a voice said. Party groaned. He wanted to go back to sleep. He was way too tired. His eyes fluttered open to find total darkness. He was confused at first. Wasnt it morning? Then the events of the night came back to him. He started frantically kicking the sand and pulling at his restraints, but a hand on his bound hands held them firmly in place. Frank was behind him, snaking an arm around his chest, pulling him closer until his head was resting against Frank's shoulder. Party realized he wasn't gagged anymore. Not that it would make a difference now. He doubted Frank had taken him anywhere someone could hear him. "I was going to wake you up earlier, but you looked so peaceful. Now we can watch the sunrise together. Too bad I couldn't bring the others along. Oh well, we can always go back and take them with us later," Frank said, his hot breath ghosting Party's ear. His breathing became more shallow. At this point he wasn't even trying to hide how scared he was. He was going to die here. He was actually going to die. No, no, no, he didn't want to die. What was going to happen to Kobra, Jet and Grace? They needed him to protect them. He started shaking out of pure fear.

"Shh, calm down, baby. You're okay. Just breathe. match your breathing with mine," Frank said softly, trying to calm him down. The hand that held his wrists left to stroke his hair gently. He tried to lean away from the touch, but the fingers kneading his scalp felt too good to resist. His breathing calmed as Frank pet him slowly and tenderly. "That's it, keep breathing," Frank said. The shaking slowed down, and Party allowed himself to forget for a while, imagining this was just a regular day with Ghoul and that nothing was wrong. But the daydream wasn't pleasant for long. Days like that could never happen again. Ghoul was gone because of him. He sobbed, but no tears came.

"Don't worry, Gee. All your pain will go away when you meet our saviours." Frank kissed the spot behind Party's ear, making him shudder. He felt Frank release his grip around his chest. Frank stood up and walked around his captive until he was directly in front of him. Frank pulled Party into a kneeling position and cupped his face. "I'm sorry," Party whispered.

"Hm? You have to speak up, Gee," Frank said. "I said I'm sorry. I should have seen it sooner. I should have done more to help you. I should have been a better boyfriend. I should have stopped you. I should have been there for you when you needed me, but I failed you. I'm so sorry." Party lowered his head. Frank's thumb caressed his cheek. "Oh, Gee. Don't apologize. I was in a really bad place, not even you could help me. I was so ready to give up. I thought I was a burden to you. I thought you would all be better off without me. I made my choice last night, and it's the best decision I could have ever made. My saviours showed me what my true purpose is, and now I'm finally free. I want you, Jet, Kobra and Grace to have that freedom too. Hell, I can drive us all to the safehouse and free everyone there. Doesn't that sound lovely?" Frank lifted Party's chin, pushing slightly at the edge of his mask.

"No." Party replied quietly. He couldn't take this anymore. He refused to lay down and let himself die. "What was that?" Frank asked. "I said NO!" Party kicked Frank in the ribs. He started violently pulling at the rope. He felt it loosen slightly. Before he could make more progress, Frank's mouth was on his. He let out a muffled "mmmfh!" as Frank kissed more passionately, while holding tighly at Party's wrists, holding them still. No, this was all wrong. He felt violated by Frank's lips. Every touch felt like fresh venom. He didn't want this. He tried to pull away, but Frank's other hand was on the back of his head, holding him in place as Frank licked at his lips, trying to gain entry into his mouth. Party pursed his lips tightly. This wasn't happening. Frank started biting Party's lower lip, this time demanding to deepen the kiss. He headbutted Frank, resulting in both of them groaning in pain. Frank pulled away, taking the hand on Party's wrist to rub his forehead.

Party made a mental note to never headbutt anyone again as he started pulling at the slightly looser rope again, ignoring the blood flowing from his lip. The rope was chafing his skin as he keot struggling. He would get some lasting marks for sure. He heard the click of a gun getting cocked, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to give up so easily this time. He ignored the pain as the rope snapped where he had cut it earlier. He quickly wiggled his hands free and rolled over, ignoring the shot that landed where he had been a few seconds ago. He pushed himself to his feet and rammed into Frank. The two of them started wrestling on the ground, with Party on top this time. He held tightly at the hand that held his gun. Frank flipped them over, but Party kept his grip on the gun, pointing it away from him. "Frank, please stop this!" He shouted, trying to wrangle the gun away from Frank. "Why won't you just let me help you? I just want you to be free!" Frank replied.

"And what if I'm not 'worthy', Frank? What if none of the others are? If I look, I will die. No matter how much you claim that I'm 'worthy'." Party said. Frank stayed quiet for a while. "It doesn't matter. Everyone has to look. That's the mission my saviours gave me. If you aren't worthy, then us two simply weren't meant to last anyway. Now, shut up and let me save you," Frank answered.

Party's breathing hitched. There was no way to reason with Frank. The man he loved was gone forever, and had been replaced by the twisted mirror image that was Frank. "Goodbye, Ghoul," He whispered as he finally managed to yank the gun from Frank. He held the gun tightly in his fingers and aimed at Frank's chest. Frank seemed to have frozen in place, but he could practically hear the bitter smile on his face. "So this is how it ends, huh? Well, if I'm going, you're going with me!" A hand grabbed Party's mask and pulled, the only thing keeping it on was the string that was attached. With no hesitation, Party fired the gun.

**Author's Note:**

> wow, I didn't expect this fic to be as long as it became. I hope you enjoyed it! Unless i made you cry and you now hate me. In that case, I'm sorry. Feel free to give constructive criticism in the comments :D


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